Turkey election: Erdogan wins second term as president

GB news 24 desk//

Turkey’s long-standing leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won the country’s presidential poll in the first round, the election authority chief says.

Sadi Guven said the president “received the absolute majority of all valid votes”, but gave no further details.

State media reports put Mr Erdogan on 53% with 99% of votes counted, and his closest rival Muharrem Ince on 31%.

The opposition is yet to officially concede but said it would continue its democratic fight “whatever the result”.

It had earlier cast doubt on results being broadcast by state media. Final results will be announced on Friday.

Mr Erdogan said the governing alliance of his AK Party had also secured a majority in parliament.

“Turkey has given a lesson in democracy to the entire world,” he said.

Under Turkey’s new constitution, due to come into force after the election, the president will hold considerable power.

Critics argue the enhanced role will see too much power accumulated in one person’s hands, and that Turkey lacks the checks and balances of other executive presidencies such as France or the United States.

With 96% of the votes for parliament counted, the president’s AK Party leads with 42% of the votes, the state news agency Anadolu reports. The main opposition CHP is on 23%.

Turkey’s electoral board confirmed that the pro-Kurdish HDP has reached the 10% threshold needed to enter parliament. Before the vote, analysts said this might make it harder for Mr Erdogan’s party and its ally the MHP to reach a majority, although currently they are on course to do so.

Voter turnout was high, at almost 87%, the state broadcaster reported.

“I hope nobody will try to cast a shadow on the results,” Mr Erdogan said.

There are reports that CHP presidential candidate Mr Ince has admitted defeat in a message to a journalist, though this has not been confirmed.

Earlier on Sunday he accused state-run news agency Anadolu of “manipulation” over its reporting of vote-share figures. He said he would only comment when the official results had been announced.